* Chiron Corp., of Emeryville, Calif., submitted a product licenseapplication with the FDA to market Pertugen, the company'sdiphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine for infants andchildren.

* Connective Therapeutics Inc., of Palo Alto, completed enrollmentof 60 patients in a placebo-controlled Phase II trial of ConXn,recombinant human relaxin H2, for treatment of scleroderma.Participants will be treated for 24 weeks. The company expects toreceive analysis of the findings by mid-1997. ConXn, a naturalprotein, inhibits connective tissue buildup.

* Gensia Inc., of San Diego, amended its new drug application withthe FDA for the GenESA system by providing additional clinical dataas the agency requested. The pharmacological stress testing system isdesigned to diagnosis coronary artery disease in combination withstandard methods. GenESA combines the drug arbutamine with acomputer-controlled administration system. The FDA told Gensia ascheduled October 1996 review of GenESA by the FDA'sCardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee may not benecessary.

* Geron Corp., of Menlo Park, licensed technology from GenPharmInternational, of Mountain View, Calif., for genetically alteringprimate primordial stems cells for use in treating age-related diseases.The technology involves modification of the stem cells prior totransplanting them. Financial terms were not disclosed.

* Life Medical Sciences Inc., of Edison, N.J., began a pivotal trial inEurope of its topical wound-healing gel, Cariel, which employs thecompany's in-situ tissue culturing technology.

* Neurex Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif., signed a potential $7.5 milliondeal with Beaufour Ipsen, of Paris, for rights to market the former'sCorlopam (fenoldopam mesylate) in Europe and Asia, excludingJapan. Neurex also will receive royalties and retains manufacturingrights. The drug is approved in Europe for blood pressure control.Other potential applications include malignant hypertension,congestive heart failure and acute renal failure. Corlopam is underreview by the FDA for blood pressure control.

* NeXstar Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Boulder, Colo., filed aninvestigational new drug application with the FDA to begin clinicaltrials of MiKasome, a liposomal form of the antibiotic amikacin, forserious bacterial and mycobacterial infections. The Phase I study willbe conducted with 30 asymptomatic AIDS patients.

* Paracelsian Inc., of Ithaca, N.Y., raised $2 million in a privateplacement to a group of institutional investors, who have purchased atotal of $4.3 million worth of stock and warrants since June 1996.

* Pharmos Corp., of Alachua, Fla., received approval in Israel tobegin a Phase II study of its lead neuroprotective drug, Dexanabinol,to treat brain damage associated with head injuries.

* SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Mateo, Calif., said aplacebo-controlled clinical trial in the U.S. of Zadaxin showed thedrug, thymosin alpha 1, combined with alpha interferon was moreeffective than either alpha interferon alone or a placebo in treatingchronic active hepatitis C. The study enrolled 110 patients and 103completed the treatment. The company said the findings will supportefforts to market Zadaxin in the U.S. The drug is approved in China,the Philippines and Singapore for hepatitis B.

* SuperGen Inc., of Emeryville, Calif., acquired rights to ananticancer drug, called pentostatin, from Warner-Lambert Co., ofMorris Plains, N.J. The drug, sold under the brand name Nipent, isapproved in the U.S. for treatment of hairy cell leukemia. Financialterms were not disclosed. SuperGen paid cash and stock forpentostatin.

* Targeted Genetics Corp., of Seattle, received a $1 millionmilestone payment from Groupe Fournier, of Paris, in theircollaboration to develop a HER-2/neu inhibitor to treat breast andovarian cancers. The HER-2/neu oncogene is overexpresssed invarious cancers. The payment was triggered by enrollment of patientsin a Phase I trial in the U.S.

* Visible Genetics Inc., of Toronto, and the University of PittsburghMedical Center signed a letter of understanding to create a new jointventure company focused on developing molecular diagnostics. Thenew company, Pittsburgh-based Genetic Foundry Inc., will developDNA-based diagnostics.

American Biogenetic Sciences Inc., of Copiague, N.Y., and GullLaboratories Inc., of Salt Lake City, reached an agreement for themanufacture and distribution of ABS' thrombus precursor proteinassay in various automated plate formats. ABS has filed a 510(k)application seeking marketing clearance.

Aprogenex Inc., of Houston, and AmCell Corp., of Sunnyvale,Calif., are collaborating in the area of prenatal genetic testing.AmCell will use Aprogenex's DNA probes in systems AmCell isdeveloping to screen maternal blood for circulating fetal cells.

Diatide Inc., of Londonderry, N.H., began Phase II trials of itsP483H Techtide, which is designed to image the exact location ofinternal infections in vivo. The product is a combination of syntheticpeptides designed to attach to disease molecules and technetium-99.

ID Biomedical Corp., of Vancouver, British Columbia, extendedfor six months its research agreement with Hitachi Co. Ltd., of Japan.The companies are evaluating ID's technology for use in genetic andimmunological testing.

ImmuCell Corp., of Portland, Maine, formed a joint venture withMembrex Inc., of Fairfield, N.J., to commercialize the Crypto-Scanwater test, which detects Cryptosporidium parvum in drinking water.

Matritech Inc., of Newton, Mass., began clinical trials of its secondNuclear Matrix Protein immunoassay, a test for colorectal cancer.The company already has a bladder cancer test on the market.

Meridian Diagnostics Inc., of Cincinnati, completed a publicoffering of $20 million principal amount of its 7 percent convertiblesubordinated debentures due 2006. Meridian develops and marketsimmunodiagnostic test kits, purified reagents and antibodies.Proceeds primarily will be used to acquire or license new products.

Metasyn Inc., of Cambridge, Mass., is getting a $6 million licensefee from Mallinckrodt Group Inc., of St. Louis, in a deal forworldwide (except Japan) development and marketing of themagnetic resonance imaging agent, MS-325, and other MRI vascularagents. MS-325, a noninvasive angiography imaging agent, isbeginning U.S. studies. The companies will share in the costs andprofits of the product.

(c) 1997 American Health Consultants. All rights reserved.